'Plants Vs. Zombies' (Xbox Live)

PopCap's fiendishly addictive tower defense game Plants Vs. Zombies has grown from a small seed of an idea, lovingly crafted with the casual gamer in mind, into a colossal beanstalk of a game that has since become the fastest-selling title on the iPhone. Inevitably, success on one format leads to multiple ports and updates, and now, over a year since it made its debut on the PC, Plants Vs. Zombies sprouts up on the slick screens of the Xbox 360.

As good and well executed a concept as Plants Vs. Zombies is on the tiny touch screen of the iPhone and on the PC, transferring that successful formula over to a traditional console isn't as easy as it sounds. The main issue of contention will always be the controls, which need to be as tight and precise as they were on its forbearers in order for the XBLA version to be heralded a success.

Fortunately, PopCap has managed to make controlling Plants Vs. Zombies with an Xbox 360 pad as easy and intuitive as before, thanks in large to the simplicity of the game itself. The gameplay in the adventure mode remains the same as ever. Players are given the task of defeating hordes of zombies with some seeds and sunshine before they make it across the lawn, roof or pool and into the player's house. Different seeds spawn different plants, ranging from simple peashooters to the explosive cherry bomb, while others generate sunrays which can be used to expand your army of soldiering shrubbery.

As for the controls, the seeds can be scrolled through with the right and left button and planted by pressing A. Sunrays can be collected either by moving over them with the D-pad/analogue stick, or by pressing the right trigger. Players can also move over a plant and hold B to dig it up, making way for different plants based on the strengths and weaknesses of the zombies on screen. The controls are successful, thanks to the perfectly pitched cursor sensitivity and the ease with which seeds can be selected. This means that players can move across the game's grid using a D-pad with enough speed and accuracy to ensure that last gasp seeds can be planted without pause or problem. Not once did the controls dampen the Plants Vs. Zombies experience, leaving the ever excellent and addictive gameplay of the earlier versions completely intact.

All of the game modes from the iPhone and PC versions return (including the puzzle mode which was absent from the iPhone version), plus the 360 benefits from a co-op and versus mode, which gives players a little more bang for their buck and makes the XBLA port the definitive incarnation. Co-op mode splits the seed selection between both players, leaving each able to pick four seeds a piece. Due to the fact that both multiplayer games can only be played locally, communication is a given and players will no doubt decide as a team which eight seeds to select and when and where to plant them. Sunrays are earned on a first come, first served basis; although twin suns also appear, which require both players to move over them at the same time in order to receive their benefits. One player can also immobilise a zombie by holding a slab of butter over their head with the X button, giving the other player a little more time to cultivate a plant and eliminate them before they chow down on your brains.

The versus mode is slightly more interesting as it allows one player to take charge of the zombies in their attempt to besiege the house. In order for the player controlling the plants to win, they must eliminate all three stationary zombie targets on the other side of the grid, as well as defend from the threat of human-spawned zombies and the waves of the undead sent in by the computer. The person controlling the zombies can protect their targets by erecting gravestones that create brainpower - the zombie equivalent of sunrays - which can be used to create a bigger army of the undead. The versus mode is nicely balanced, as the zombie team can benefit from waves of computer-spawned undead, while the plant team has extra land use in their defense. In addition to the well balanced gameplay, the simplicity of the title itself means that one-on-one bouts are usually pretty close, regardless of experience.

Other than the new multiplayer modes, there isn't a lot to distinguish between the XBLA port and older versions of Plants Vs. Zombies. The game retains its bright, colourful appearance and comical presentation, without adding any graphical flourishes of its own. The adventure mode still has a slight pacing problem, as later levels ramp up the difficulty considerably. However, thanks to the constant addition of new seeds, each challenge is able to be overcome with a little planning and experimentation. The additional modes, such as puzzle, survival and the 20 mini-games, extend the game's lifespan considerably, especially with online leaderboards for the survival mode. The new multiplayer modes successfully add a completely new dimension to the game; although due to a lack of online support, it's hard to tout the multiplayer as a justifiable reason to buy it if you own an earlier version. If you've never played Plants Vs. Zombies before, or a tower defense game for that matter, then the XBLA version is as good a place to start as any. But be warned, the addictive gameplay may leave you planted in front of the television deep into the night.